Located in Terminal 2 of London Heathrow Airport, the Plaza Premium is the go-to lounge for passengers either looking for a pay-to-enter lounge or have free access using a credit card. I entered using my American Express Platinum Card however it costs a whopping GBP 40.50 for one person staying for 2 hours - here’s a look at what to expect.

The lounge can be found by heading to the lower level of the Terminal 2 A gates area after Security. The easiest way to find the lounge is by following directions to the Flight Connections area located nearby.

Once you get past the flight connections zone, the lounge is easily identifiable. Reception staff will greet you and either request to see your booking or relevant credit card for entry.

After the reception, you will walk through a moody hallway which feels a little bit like a forest.

At first glance, the Plaza Premium has one of the nicest designs I have seen at a third party lounge - modern, sleek and despite having no windows, it still feels suitably bright. The design, in my opinion, comes off as a cheaper version of a Cathay Pacific lounge.

Throughout, there is a selection of seating options including armchairs with personal side lights…

Sofas for group seating…

Singapore Airlines’ Lounge style lounger with table…

A limited dining area…

And breakfast bars.

Semi-private cubicles are available to work from but are a little drab and dim to work properly from.

For the cost of entry, the food was lacklustre. Low quality and little selection from powdered eggs to dry pastries - avoid this if you can. I would primarily go for the fruit, just for something that will have some flavour.

Drinks do a little better with a decent self-serve espresso machine, tea and soft drinks. I recommend if using the machine to only do Americano or Espresso shots then add milk separately as Cappuccino quality is usually dreadful.

A bar can be found; however, I didn’t frequent it since I visited at 6am. I believe that you are eligible for a maximum of two drinks for free (beer and wine) while spirits and Champagne are charged at an extra cost to the entry fee.

And finally, onto the bathrooms. These are large and modern facilities but during my visit were not particularly clean which is surprising considering they had only been open for one hour when I arrived. Showers are available but I did not manage to reserve on for a snap.

Verdict

There are two questions to answer here. The first being, would I pay GBP 40 to enter this lounge? The answer here is a resounding no. It is overpriced for what it offers and they need to step up their offering at breakfast time for the sticker price they charge. You are far better off paying for a decent breakfast at one of the many outlets in the main terminal building.

Would I visit again with my free access? Only if there were no other lounge options available to me, i.e. when I lose my Star Alliance Gold status. The only airline which offers access as part of a Business Class ticket is LOT Polish Airlines, who are part of Star Alliance which entitles you access to the superior lounges from Singapore Airlines, United, Air Canada or even Lufthansa.

In my view, there is only going to be a few very select circumstance I would choose to visit this lounge. If you are looking for a good lounge experience, look elsewhere.